A Two-Year LL.M. Program Designed to Prepare You for Successful LL.M. Studies

This post comes to us from Boston University School of Law

In September 2014, Boston University School of Law welcomed the first class of Legal English Certificate Program (LECP) students. The inaugural class consists of 30 students, representing 8 different countries: Armenia, Korea, Kuwait, China, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Boston LLM ProgramBoston University School of Law has served as a pioneer in legal education for over 130 years, and Boston University’s Center for English Language Orientation Programs (CELOP) has helped international lawyers improve their Legal English skills for over 25 years.  Through our new, Legal English Certificate Program/Two-Year LL.M. enrollment option, BU Law and CELOP have partnered to offer students a premier program aimed at improving students’ Legal English while equipping them with the practical skills needed to succeed in the LL.M. classroom, prior to full-time LL.M. enrollment.

In keeping with BU Law’s commitment to providing students with maximum flexibility, this new program will be offered in two “tracks.” The two-year LLM track is for international LLM candidates whose admission to a BU Law LLM program is conditional on their successful completion of the one-year LECP. The certificate-only track is open to foreign professionals—including non-lawyers—who seek to enhance their English skills for the workplace and earn a legal English credential. Among this fall’s 30 students, 27 are pursuing the two-year LLM track.

The two-year LL.M. track beings with the LECP curriculum, a 25-credit, full-time, two-semester residential program of instruction in English communication and Legal English.  The LECP curriculum exposes students to US legal discourse, culture, terminology, and the foundations of US law:

Fall Semester

  • Boston UniversityLegal English I (CELOP course, 7 credits)
  • Academic Skills for Successful Graduate Studies (CELOP course, 3 credits)
  • Introduction to U.S. Legal Culture (Law course, 2 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Legal English II (CELOP course, 7 credits)
  • Legal Writing (Law course, 2 credits)
  • Persuasive Advocacy (Law course, 2 credits)
  • Topics in American Law (Law course, 1 credit)
  • Academic Skills for U.S. Law Studies (Law course, 1 credit)

Summer Semester (Two-Year LL.M. only)

  • Three week pre-course: Speaking and Listening for Legal English Students (CELOP course, no credits) *
  • Six week Pre-LL.M. Program: Legal English for LL.M. Students (CELOP course, no credits)

* if required based on student assessments.  LECP-only students take an independent study course in the spring, replacing Academic Skills for U.S. Law Studies.

In addition to gaining the skills needed to succeed in the US LLM classroom, students in BU Law’s LECP are full members of the BU Law Community. They are invited to participate in LL.M. and Law School activities throughout the academic year, including Red Sox games, pub nights, guest speaker events, international career panels and networking events.  Our LECP students find that Boston University is a great place to learn, and Boston is great place to live.  A longstanding academic capital of the U.S, Boston is in BU Law’s own backyard.

We are now accepting applications for the Legal English Certificate Program/Two-Year LLM. Enrollment option for Fall 2015.  Detailed application instructions can be found on our Website, and I encourage you to contact our Graduate Admissions Specialist at bullm@bu.edu with any questions on the application process.

If you have questions about the academics of our program, I encourage you attend one of our virtual information sessions, the schedules for which are posted on our website:  at the end of each presentation, attendees are provided the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered in real-time.

Students-in-class_BostonI look forward to receiving your application in the near future!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ian C. Pilarczyk

Director, Legal English Certificate Program

Director, Executive LL.M. Program in International Business Law

 

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